Behrampore, Oct. 20: Relatives of a man whom three government doctors treated in a week, ordered tests from three different laboratories and changed medicines thrice ransacked the Murshidabad hospital after he died today.

Syed Ali’s relatives and friends chased the superintendent with iron rods after the vandalism.

A labourer in Orissa’s Kokrajhar, Syed, 38, had returned home with fever on October 1. When the fever did not go in a fortnight, he was taken to Jangipur Subdivisional Hospital. He was diagnosed with malignant malaria and jaundice.

His brother Hamid said: “Dr Hamid Ali asked us to carry out some blood tests from a laboratory and buy medicines from the market. Three days later, he went on leave and Satya Hazra replaced him. Hazra rejected all earlier tests, ordered fresh ones from another laboratory and prescribed another set of medicines.”

Hazra went on leave yesterday and Samir Kanti Dutta ordered blood tests again and a fresh set of medicines. “We spent over Rs 3,500 in five days, but my brother could not be saved,” Hamid said.

As the news spread, nearly 100 residents of Rajanagar village in Raghunathgunj marched to the outpatient department, smashed windowpanes and broke furniture.

They barged into superintendent Asim Haldar’s chamber and chased him when he tried to flee. The computer, TV set, refrigerator and fax machine in the room were damaged.

“They would have killed me had I not fled,” Haldar said.

Asked why the tests were ordered from private laboratories, Haldar said: “Technicians at the hospital lab are available only during office hours. Emergency tests are always done outside.”

Hamid alleged that they were forced to get the tests done in laboratories recommended by the doctors because they would have got cuts.

Haldar said: “I will have to go through the case history of the patient before making any comment.”

Asked if the doctors’ leave had been authorised, Haldar said Hamid Ali had the permission. “I’ll have to check about Hazra.”

Hazra said he had prescribed a second set of blood tests because he wanted to crosscheck on the malignant malaria. “The family had told me they did not mind buying costly medicines and so I prescribed some. I went home to Calcutta after the patient’s condition improved on Saturday.”

Dutta said: “A malaria patient shouldn’t be given the drugs prescribed by Hazra.”

The district’s chief medical officer has ordered a probe.